Category: Journal articles

Abstract

Taking EU communications as a case study this article deals with the relationship between communication activities of public authorities and the public sphere. Traditional theories of the public sphere regard government communications as an unwelcome intervention that distorts free and open debates. This article argues that public relations activities of governments should be analysed as being part of the implementation of an information policy that also comprises citizen’s rights of access to documents and information. Whether information policy distorts or supports free deliberation is an empirical question that is answered by looking at the information policy of the European Commission since the year 2000. In response to the challenge of communicating Europe to largely disinterested audiences, the European Commission has reformed its communications in order to foster a European public sphere through enhancing the transparency of European governance and starting a dialogue with the citizens. The study shows that the EU fails on its promise of dialogue and that transparency could still be improved. The information policy of the Commission aims at normatively acceptable goals while using ineffective means. Information policy does not turn out to be propagandistic but ineffective. Focussing on media relations could make PR more effective in reaching out to the wider public. If journalism functions as its necessary corrective and citizens are empowered through strong rights of access to information, than information policy could contribute to a vivid transnational public sphere.

Brüggemann, Michael (2010): Information Policy and the Public Sphere. EU Communications and the Promises of Dialogue and Transparency. In Javnost / The Public 17 (1), pp. 5–21. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2010.11009023.

Abstract

This article contributes to the ongoing quest for a European public sphere understood as a structural transformation of national public debates. This process of Europeanization of national public spheres has a vertical and a horizontal dimension: an increased focus on the EU as well as more attention to other European countries. A content analysis of quality newspapers in five EU member states covering a period of 20 years reveals common trends across different countries but no convergence over time. Four different patterns of Europeanization can be identified: comprehensive Europeanization, segmented Europeanization, Europeanization aloof from the EU and a parochial public sphere. This article pushes research in this area ahead by identifying and testing factors that explain these differences in newspaper coverage. In-depth case analysis as well as regression analysis show that the editorial mission of a newspaper and the size of the member state it is situated in have a significant effect on patterns of Europeanization. Contrary to common expectations, the number of correspondents in Brussels and the degree of popular identification with Europe did not significantly affect patterns of Europeanization.

Brüggemann, Michael; Kleinen-v. Königslöw, Katharina (2009): Let´s Aalk About Europe. Why Europeanization Shows a Different Face in Different Newspapers. In European Journal of Communication 24 (1), pp. 27–48. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0267323108098944.

Abstract

Osama bin Laden verschickt Videos an Fernsehsender und seine Anhänger pflegen zahllose Websites. Schon vor zehn Jahren erklärte eine neue US-amerikanische Militärdoktrin die Eroberung der Informationshoheit zur höchsten Priorität im Kriegsfall (Szukala 2005). Wer heutzutage Gewalt ausübt, sei es der Befehlshaber von Truppen oder das Oberhaupt einer Terrororganisation, bemüht sich um die öffentliche Legitimation seines Handelns. Er wirbt um Unterstützung in den eigenen Reihen und sendet auch Botschaften an das gegnerische Lager. Damit ist ein neues Schlachtfeld eröffnet: Die Medien sind zu einem Schauplatz des Krieges geworden, auf dem die Kombattanten um die Vorherrschaft über die öffentliche Meinung ringen. Politische Akteure in Konflikten richten also ihr Handeln auch im Hinblick auf die Wirkung in den Massenmedien aus. Die Kommunikationswissenschaft hat dafür das Konzept der Medialisierung entwickelt: „Genuine“ Ereignisse jenseits medialer Aufmerksamkeit
werden zu „medialisierten“ Ereignissen (Kepplinger 2000: 170). Gerade Konflikte und Kriege üben einen hohen Druck auf die beteiligten Akteure aus, sich öffentlich zu rechtfertigen. Sie sind zu medialisierten Ereignissen geworden (Esser et al. 2005: 314).

Brüggemann, Michael; Wessler, Hartmut (2008): Medien im Krieg. Das Verhältnis von Medien und Politik im Zeitalter transnationaler Konfliktkommunikation. In Politische Vierteljahresschrift. Sonderheft 42: Politik in der Mediendemokratie, hg. von Frank Marcinkowski und Barbara Pfetsch 42, pp. 635–657. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-91728-3_26.

Abstract

Transnationale Öffentlichkeiten werden als Räume der Verdichtung von öffentlicher, medial vermittelter politischer Kommunikation begriffen, die den nationalen Bezugsraum übersteigen. Der Überblick über die vorliegende empirische Forschungsliteratur integriert bisher unverbundene Perspektiven auf Öffentlichkeit, indem er fünf verschiedene potentielle Triebkräfte der Transnationalisierung von Öffentlichkeit in den Blick nimmt: (1) transnationale Medien in Europa, (2) verschiedene Akteursgruppen als Sprecher einer europäischen Öffentlichkeit, (3) die Europäisierung nationaler Mediendebatten, (4) die Ausprägung europäischer Medienevents und (5) die Entstehung europäisierter Medien- und Bürgerpublika. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich durchgängig das Muster einer mehrfachen S egmentierung transnationaler Öffentlichkeit. Auseinem solchen Zugang ergeben sich F orschungsperspektiven, die die Transnationalisierung von Öffentlichkeit als einen multidimensionalen, langfristig-strukturellen und mehrfach segmentierten Prozess sichtbar machen, der in national geprägten politischen Diskurskulturen gründet.

Brüggemann, Michael; Hepp, Andreas; Kleinen-v. Königslöw, Katharina; Wessler, Hartmut (2009): Transnationale Öffentlichkeit in Europa. Forschungsstand und Perspektiven. In Publizistik 54 (3), pp. 391–414. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11616-009-0059-4.

Abstract

Research about the European public sphere has so far mainly focused on the analysis of national media neglecting one dimension of transnational communication, namely transnational media. These media could serve as horizontal links between the still nationally segmented public spheres and they could be platforms of a transnational European discourse. Four ideal-types of transnational media can be distinguished: 1) national media with a transnational mission, 2) inter-national media, 3) pan-regional media and 4) global media. With this framework we analyse transnational media in Europe showing that a multitude of transnational media developed in Europe. They have acquired a small but growing and influential audience. Whether transnational media fulfil the normative demands related to the concept of a transnational public sphere remains an open question as some of these media heavily depend on government subsidies and there is a clear lack of research on the European discourses represented in these media.

Brüggemann, Michael; Schulz-Forberg, Hagen (2009): Becoming Pan-European? Transnational Media and the European Public Sphere. In International Communication Gazette 71 (8), pp. 693–712. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048509345064.

Abstract

Über eine Million Dokumente umfasst das Internet-Angebot der EU – eine gewaltige Informationsmenge, die den Bürgern per Maus-Klick unter http://europa.eu zur Verfügung steht. Und doch beklagt Richard Upson vom Brüsseler Think Tank European Citizen Action Service ein „Informationsdefizit“. Zwar geht von Brüssel eine wahre Informationssturmflut aus, aber damit ist nicht gesagt, dass die Bürger die Informationen bekommen, die sie suchen und die für sie relevant sind. Die Folgen dieses Defizits zeigen sich am weit verbreiteten Unwissen über die EU, das auch einen Teil der Skepsis gegenüber der EU erklärt.

Brüggemann, Michael (2007): Grenzen politischer Transparenz in Europa. In Die politische Meinung 55 (5), pp. 9–13. Available online at https://www.kas.de/de/web/die-politische-meinung/artikel/detail/-/content/grenzen-politischer-transparenz-in-europa.

Abstract

The article presents the results of a longitudinal newspaper analysis on the Europeanization of public discourses in five EU countries. It shows that European governance is increasingly subject to public scrutiny, but neither has a common discourse in Europe developed nor has the communication lag of the EU disappeared. Therefore the EU remains largely dependent on domestic processes of legitimation.

Sifft, Stefanie; Brüggemann, Michael; Kleinen-von Königslöw, Katharina; Peters, Bernhard; Wimmel, Andreas (2007): Segmented Europeanization. Exploring the Legitimacy of the European Union from a Public Discourse Perspective. In Journal of Common Market Studies 45 (1), pp. 127–156. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5965.2007.00706.x.

Abstract

If there is no such thing as a European Public Sphere (EPS), why don’t we construct one? The answer seems to be obvious: There is no way one could construct a public sphere top-down since it depends on the active participation of speakers, the media and audience. In a democratic society they are free to deliberate with whom and about what they want. This article does not challenge the Habermasian notion of a public sphere evolving from the free discourse of the citizens. Nevertheless, the evolution of a public sphere is also structured by incentives and constraints imposed from above. The European Union structures the EPS – as a polity as well as through its policies and politics. While it is true that different policies such as media policy and all cultural policies matter for the public sphere, this paper concentrates on the Commission’s information policy as it constitutes the most direct link between the institution and the EPS. Seven different strategies of information policy will be presented which vary in their potential of creating or suppressing the evolution of a democratic public sphere. The extremes are marked by propaganda and arcane policy on the one hand and dialogue and transparency on the other hand. While the Commission pursued arcane policies for a long time, its approach to information has changed during the last decade. A change of paradigm might be under way but the legacy of European policy without “Offentlichkeit” constraints all attempts at pursuing more democratic information policies aimed at strengthening the public sphere.

Brüggemann, Michael (2005): How the EU Constructs the European Public Sphere. Seven Strategies of Information Policy. In Javnost / The Public 12 (2), pp. 57–74. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2005.11008888.

Abstract

Eine Untersuchung der Cross-Media-Strategien führender Qualitätsmedien legt offen, welche Faktoren zum Scheitern führen und wie Print und Online erfolgreich vernetzt werden können.

Brüggemann, Michael (2003): Crossmedia. Schritt für Schritt. In Message. Internationale Fachzeitschrift für Jornalismus (1), pp. 18–21.